The invention is in an improvement in a friction railway draft gear as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,300 which discloses a draft gear that employs rubber cushion pads and a friction clutch consisting of two friction shoes and a friction wedge for increasing the resistance or capacity of the draft gear. It is difficult to assemble a newly made draft gear of this type and to disassemble such draft gears when the friction clutch loses its operating effectiveness as, for example, the friction shoes become worn and fit loosely within the housing of the draft gear. The invention is designed to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of such draft gears.
Briefly stated, the invention is in a draft gear comprising, a housing in which is stacked a plurality of rubber cushion pads as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,086,765 or 4,111,406, a spring seat for resting against the rubber cushion pads, and a friction clutch consisting of a pair of friction shoes for engaging the spring seat and a friction wedge for wedgingly engaging the friction shoes as force is applied thereagainst. The housing is provided with means by which the spring seat can be engaged and held in compressed relation against the cushion pads to permit easy insertion and removal of the friction clutch mechanism. Another aspect of the invention is the provision in the housing of means by which rubber cushion pads can be loosened and pushed from the housing. Still another aspect of the invention is the provision in the friction wedge of means by which the spring seat can be moved rearwardly in compressed relation against the rubber cushion pads. Still another aspect of the invention is the provision of means which continually coacts between the spring seat and friction shoes to load the shoes and maintain them in frictional engagement with the friction wedge.